pleats please was made for a life in motion
50+ listings of drool-worthy pleats please, vintage prada bags, cashmere, silk, and gemstone rings in the secondhand sonar doc
During my recent trip to Japan, I could feel the spirit of Issey Miyake smiling down on me every time I re-wore my bubble print Pleats Please skirt.
Over the span of 10 days, I probably wore it ~80% of the time I was out. Paired with cotton spandex leggings underneath, I felt warm and cocooned from the chilly December air. I could hike up the subway stairs and pop a squat in the department store without fear of ~indecent exposure~.
The pleats never wrinkled or lost their springy-ness (functional polyester has its place).
Now I get why people swear by Pleats Please for travel: these garments are truly made for a life in constant motion.
“From the beginning I thought about working with the body in movement, the space between the body and clothes. I wanted the clothes to move when people moved. The clothes are also for people to dance or laugh.” —Issey Miyake
I wore it on stretch breaks on the side of the road in Aso City.
I wore it with my marshmallow puffer (old Toteme) for seaside walks in Kamakura.
I wore it with my ditsy floral puffer (old The Great) to get souffle pancakes for breakfast in Asakusa.
And I wore it on the long drive to Fukuoka, cradling a trio of peach-flavored provisions in my lap.
This trip left me with a deeper appreciation for Pleats Please, and how to style it to suit my lifestyle. I learned that I greatly prefer the sensation of cotton leggings worn underneath—the polyester pleats can feel a little stiff and cold on my skin.
This particular skirt stands out as a top vintage score of 2025, and it was all thanks to Flora, a UK-based Molehill reader who helped me order it off Vinted! <3 The blurred effect of the colorful bubbles, the pale purple, the peek of highlighter green ruffles at the bottom—I just really, really love this skirt.
For the last secondhand sonar drop of the year, I found 50+ pieces, including the coolest Pleats Please styles.
The best prices were overwhelmingly on jp eBay, where I prioritized picking rare prints and patterns under the $200 mark. Even with the international shipping and fees, it still comes under average prices on platforms like TRR. Plus, the inventory is just better!
It also includes:
Vintage Prada (and very similar) purses
Interesting vintage designer puffer jackets
Juicy rings with colorful gemstones
Lots of cashmere and silk
Lots of rich greens